


Unexpected Guests

by EnchantedbookLover18



Series: December Fanfic Challenge 2020 [9]
Category: NCIS
Genre: December Fics 2020, Established Relationship, F/M, prompt 9, unexpected appearances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27979989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnchantedbookLover18/pseuds/EnchantedbookLover18
Summary: The Christmas dinner at the Bishop-Torres household takes an unexpected turn when someone from Nick's past shows up.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop & Nick Torres, Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Series: December Fanfic Challenge 2020 [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035984
Comments: 5
Kudos: 22
Collections: December Fanfic Challenge





	Unexpected Guests

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #9: Ruining the holiday dinner.

It was a typically busy Christmas Eve in the Bishop-Torres household. The two kids, Liv and Aaron, played twister in the living room while their parents prepared dinner in the kitchen.

Ellie put the chicken on the dining table, next to the potatoes and vegetables, and walked over to the living room.

“Hey, kids,” she fake-whispered with a smile, “dinner is ready.”

“Okay,” the little girl Liv called out, stood up and, with her brother following, walked after her mum.

The family of four sat down at the table. The children chattered happily while Ellie and Nick smiled affectionately at each of their words and at each other. They had made a home for their beautiful family – a dream come true.

Then a knock on the front door interrupted the joyful bliss.

“I’m going,” Ellie said, exchanging a wondering look with Nick who shook his head at her unvoiced question, and walked to the front door.

As she opened the door and saw the person on the other side, it felt like a punch to the gut. “Can I help you?” There was a slight tremble in her voice.

“You must be Eleanor.” It wasn’t a question.

“And who are you?” Ellie asked, although it was completely unnecessary given that she already knew the answer. The resemblance was uncanny.

Before the man could answer her, footsteps were heard and Nick appeared next to her in the doorway. “Who is –”

The words got caught in his throat at the sight in front of him. When his posture was calm and open before, it seemed hardened and forced now. “What do you want?” The words were directed at the man who had knocked on their door. The man who looked like an older version of Nick.

“Is that how you greet your father, Nicholas?” The man laughed.

“You’ve lost that privilege many years ago when you left my mother, sister and me.” Nick’s voice told everyone around him not to mess with him.

There was a pause and the other man sighed.

“I’m sorry, Eleanor,” he said then, “We haven’t met before. I’m Miguel Torres, Nick’s father.”

He held a hand out for Ellie to shake – which she didn’t take.

“I know who you are.” The tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

“Right, of course you do.” Miguel Torres scratched his head.

“What do you want, Mr. Torres?” Ellie repeated her husband’s earlier words, trying to stay calm. It felt weird to call another man than her husband ‘Mr.Torres’.

He looked at his son, the he said, directed at both of them, “I’m here to apologise, to make amends. It’s Christmas.”

Nick laughed humourlessly. “You didn’t care about that for the last thirty-seven years – or the year you left your family – your wife and kids – to do what –?”

He took a deep breath and shook his head. “You know what? I don’t even wanna know.”

Tiny footsteps were heard and then Liv and Aaron appeared in the hallway. Their tiny arms wrapped around their parents’ legs, they peaked through the open door.

“Are these my grand-” Miguel Torres started but Nick stopped him with a wave of his hand. “Don’t. Don’t speak to them.”

Nick crouched down so he was eye-to-eye with his four- and six-year-old children. “Go back inside, you two. It’s cold out here. Mammy and daddy will be back soon, ok?”

Aaron nodded with big eyes, took another glance at the man on their doorstep and, taking his sister’s hand in his, they walked back inside.

“You should leave now,” Nick said and looked at his father.

The older man only looked at him with regret and defeat visible in his eyes but nodded reluctantly.

Nick took a step backwards, interlacing his fingers with Ellie’s, and was about to close the floor when his father spoke again.

“Maybe I can come back another time…?”

Nick closed his eyes, then he opened them again and looked Ellie. When he saw the look on his wife’s face, he said, “maybe,” and finally closed the door.

With a deep sigh, he rested his forehead against the door, “I guess Christmas is ruined now.”

“No-no-no, it’s not,” Ellie disagreed vehemently. “Nothing can ruin Christmas. This dinner? Maybe. Yeah. But not Christmas.” Ellie wrapped her arms around his body. “We have two wonderful children. You are an amazing dad, Nick.”

She turned him around on his shoulders and said, trying to lighten the mood, “Let’s eat dinner.”

The couple knew they had to put up brave faces for dinner and until the kids were in bed later. Then they’d have enough time to talk this all out. Whatever this was.


End file.
